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Author Topic: Physicists create antimatter  (Read 5250 times)

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Offline KennyRTopic starter

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Re: Physicists create antimatter
« on: September 22, 2002, 08:53:05 AM »
From what I heard, the experiment could not be replicated by other researchers - often a good sign of a hoax. But of course antimatter isn't impossible. It's actually very easy to make the particles to build it with - the hard part is trying to stop contact with normal matter, which it mutally annihilates.

I don't see much of a practical use in this, apart from high-energy physics experiments: it takes more energy to produce antimatter than you get from it as a power source, so you can forget the Star Trek "antimatter-powered ships". However, saying that, a few grams of anti-hydrogen can release more energy than the biggest hydrogen bomb, so it can easily be used - and probably will be used - as a weapon of mass destruction. Just what we needed.

Good news is, we are centuries away from being capable of gathering a few grams of it. Which is just as well. The only thing more startling than human ingenuity is human stupidity.
 

Offline KennyRTopic starter

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Re: Physicists create antimatter
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2002, 09:05:31 AM »
They *say* they have collected a blob of it...

But if they have, they can also test one other thing - to see if antimatter generates anti-gravity rather than gravity. I'm sure it doesn't: all of physics points against it, but proving it is always better, if not essential.
 

Offline KennyRTopic starter

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Re: Physicists create antimatter
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2002, 11:19:47 AM »
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No, anti-gravity isn`t related to anti-matter.


I know that, you know that, but it still has to be absolutely proven.

There is one thing different with antimatter - its less "stable" than matter, even if just by an infinitesmimal amount, otherwise there wouldn't have been a universe after the big bang. Maybe this new reseach can find out exactly why this is true. If it isn't hoaxed, that is.